(Transborder News) A Thai academic urges the Thai government to address the cybercrime hub near the Moei River before it pursues revenue from casinos as part of its entertainment complex plan. The army also needs to step up its role in tackling this issue.
The Thai government has outlined plans to promote an entertainment complex as part of the country’s “soft power” strategy. However, the inclusion of casinos in the plan has raised public concern, as Thailand is currently a transit hub for transnational organized crime, largely stemming from its neighboring countries. Members of parliament have also emphasized that these criminal hubs cost Thailand millions, with victims losing more than 70 billion baht annually.
On January 16, 2025, Pinkaew Luangaramsri, an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Chiang Mai University, issued a warning on her Facebook page about the growing criminal activity near the Moei River, which forms the border between Thailand and Myanmar. This area has become a stronghold for Chinese crime syndicates involved in what could be described as “predatory capitalism” — luring foreign victims to Thailand, then illegally smuggling them across the border to work like a slave in Myanmar’s crime hubs.
Professor Pinkaew explained that predatory capitalism usually operates through four interconnected criminal activities. While not all activities are present in every case, they are typically part of the same network. These activities include human trafficking, the illegal trade of personal information, online scams and money laundering. These criminal operations have extensive networks in both Thailand and neighboring countries, particularly Myanmar, which serves as an operational base.
To dismantle these transnational cybercrime gangs, the Thai government must sever the ties between these four criminal factors, preventing them from collaborating with each other, Professor Pinkaew warned.
She further pointed out that these criminal rings benefit from several key factors:
Corruption: Influential politicians and civil servants at both local and national levels often accept bribes in exchange for supporting and protecting these criminal organizations, which allows them to operate with relative ease and impunity.
Weak governance in Myanmar: The central government in Myanmar is unstable, creating an environment where Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) gain control over certain regions in return for various benefits. This lack of central authority has enabled border towns like Myawaddy and Shwekokko, located in Myanmar’s Karen State, to become criminal hubs, with little oversight from the Myanmar government.
Local complicity: Some businesses and government officials in Mae Sot, a town in Thailand’s Tak province located directly across from Myawaddy, indirectly support the criminal activities in the neighboring town, either by turning a blind eye or by actively facilitating these operations.
Weaknesses within the Thai government: The Thai government struggles with unclear policies, ineffective law enforcement, and a fragmented approach to tackling crime. There is no specific agency tasked with addressing this issue, and the government has failed to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat the growing threat. Additionally, the private sector, including banks and telecommunications companies often exploited by call-center gangs, has not been held accountable for its role in enabling these illegal activities.
“If the Thai government is truly serious about cracking down on the scam industry, and not just responding to media reports to save face, it needs a strategic and systematic plan to dismantle these criminal networks,” Professor Pinkaew argued. “The government must ensure that these gangs can no longer use Thailand or its border with Myanmar as an operational base. They need to address all four of the criminal rings.”
She also recommended that all state agencies involved should establish a dedicated committee focused specifically on dismantling these cybercrime organizations. Collaboration with civil society and the private sector is essential. Importantly, the Royal Thai Army must also take a more active role, as this issue directly concerns border security. However, there is currently no clear strategy from the army to stop these gangs from exploiting Thailand’s border.
Moreover, there is a need for legal reforms. The punishments for those involved in these crimes must outweigh the potential profits, and the private sector should also be held accountable for enabling these criminal operations.
“The responsibility cannot rest solely with the victims or those directly affected by the crimes,” Professor Pinkaew added. “These proposals represent structural measures that the government should consider, to avoid being short-sighted and focusing only on protecting the country’s reputation on a case-by-case basis. The government, led by the Pheu Thai Party, must show courage and commitment to addressing these long-term issues, not just focusing on short-term gains,”
She also warned that the government’s focus on the entertainment complex plan, which is expected to generate billions in revenue, might be clouding its judgment. “The government must not forget the lessons of the past, when Chinese investors involved in grey business promised Myanmar’s government that they would invest in the Shwekokko town near the Myawaddy border, where they built a notorious criminal hub. These same investors were showing interest in co-investing in Thailand’s entertainment complex, too. The government needs to be cautious.”
This is a translation of original Thai article https://transbordernews.in.th/home/?p=41071